The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-02
THE BOOK OF MORMONS.
A New story ofthe Origin of the yIormons
Bible.
New York Star

New York Star.
The recent conference of the Joseph
ties. or homogeneous Mormons. at Kirt-
land, Ohio. and the extended reports of
their proceeding in the Globe Democrat,
says a correspondent of that journal. has
renewed public interests in the peculiar
faith to which members of this church
subscribe. The origin of the Book of
Mormon have never been clearly estab-
lished. The Latter day Saints. of course
accept the statements of Joe Smith and
believe it to be an inspired work The
general public however, are hardly as
credulous and regard the alleged bible as
fraud-the work of some clever roman
cist ra.her than as the translation
of hieroSlyphics on golden plates by
nineteenth century profit. The Spauld-
ing theory. with which every one at all
acquainted with the subject is familiar.
has the most advocates. They hold that
Spauldings manuscript of his romance,
The Manuscript Found" fell into the
hands of Joe Smith, Sidney Rigdon and
others, and from that fanciful work was
CO lstructed the Book of Mormon. If this
thee v be true, it will astonish orthodox
church people to- learn that a Congrega-
tional divine, one of the foremost of his
time in New England. is responsible for
the introduction of the twin relic of
barbarism,'' SIS the Utah Church has
been called in this country.
Rev. Ethan Smith, who died at an adj
vanced age early in the ''forties," was
one of the lights in the Congregational
Church in New England. y man of
deep learning. he was at once a preacher.
author and philosopher, holding to many
ideas far in advance of his time. One of
his pet hobbies was the belief that the
North American Indians were descended
from the lost tribes of Israel, who came
over to this continent several hundred
years before Christ. built great cities
and reached a very high state Of civiliza-
ton.
Rev Dr. Smith wrote work on the
subject, which after completion he de
cided not to publish. fearing that it
might inJure his reputation as a theolOg-
ical writer. This book was an elabora-
ton of the theory DIR. Smith had so long
maintained. Taking as its foundation
| the migration of the lost tribes of Israel
to the Western Continent, it described
the hegira from Palestine, the establish
ment of the Jews in what is now Central
America and Mexico. the founding of "A
great empire, and its gradual decline
and fall. 1t told of magnificent cities
inhabited by an enlightened and Chris
tian people. The author claimed for
| them a civilization equal To that Of
| Egypt or Jerusalem. Hundreds of years
passed. and the history of the Eastern
Jews was repeated on the Western Con
tinent. Quarrels between the various
tribes sprang up, bloody wars Were
| waged and the process of disintegration
began. Gradually the people were scat
tered, their cities destroyed and all semi
blance to a nation was lost. Thousands
persisted by pestilence and the sword,
| and the remnants of a once mighty ma
ton reiapsed into a state of barbarism.
From them their descendants, DIR. Smith
claimed, We're the Indians of North
| America and the Aztec of Mexico. This
is almost exactly similar to the story
| told in the Book of Mormon.
Solomon Spaulding was warm adj
mirer of DIR. Smith. and when a young
man studied under his tuition. He be-
came interested in his theories regard
ing the settle nent of America. and in
turn DIR. Smith took the young student
into his confidence and granted him the
perusal of his unpublished book. Spauld-
ing was deeply impressed with the truth
Of this theory and pursued his investiga-
| tiOns even farther than Dr. Smith had
ventured. Taking the latter's views, as
expressed in his book, Spa ulding some
wears later wrote his famous "Manu-
| script Found" which afterward fell into
| the hards of Joe Smith and
| was reconstructed into the Book oi
Mormon. Indeed it is not at all unlike
ly that DIR. Smiths original manuscript
which, it is said, Spaulding had i'm his
possession. suffered a similar fate. Al
any rate it has never been seen since
These facts are told your correspondent
by grandson of DIR. Smith, now resid
ing in this city. He states that the
Book of Mormon" differs very slightly
as far as its general outline is concerned
from the historical romance written by
his grandfather sixty or seventy years
ago, and he is quite certain that th'
Mormon faith is founded on the produc
ton of that worthy pastors fertile i'm
| ayinatiOn.